Places to Visit in Osaka Japan

Osaka, Japan is a haven for tourists from other regions of Japan and those who travel to Japan from other countries. Traveling through Downtown Osaka allows tourists to experience the Japanese culture of the Showa period.

Osaka combines modern and ancient Japanese architecture. Visitors may enjoy popular tourist destinations such as Japanese gardens, art galleries, shrines, traditional Japanese festivals and more.

Hotels in Osaka, Japan

There are many places to stay in Osaka. Tourist accommodations vary in style and price. Hotels include the Ritz-Carlton, the Weekly Green in Namba, the Work Hotel Takatsuki, the Swissotel Nankai and the Hilton. Traditional Japanese accommodations are also available.

Osaka Castle History

Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan has been described as beautiful and majestic. This timeless castle was built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi during the 1500s. Like Ikebana and Bonsai, Japanese castles are well known symbols of Japan. Osaka Castle can be found in Shitennoji, which is in the northern section of the city.

Osaka Castle Park

The Osaka Castle is located on a large property, where people enjoy historical music and dance and visit to view over 90 varieties of plum blossoms in the spring. Tourists also visit the Nishinomaru Garden during late March to early April for the traditional Cherry Blossom Viewing. There are about 600 Cherry Blossom trees in Nishinomaru Garden.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi

Hideyoshi Toyotomi began building Osaka Castle in 1583. By 1587, the main tower was already finished and was utilized as a command post. Since 1587, the main tower has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.

In recent years, major restoration work was done on the castle with the help of public donations. The most recent restoration project began in 1995. The Osaka Castle is considered by the residents of that Japanese city, to be a symbol of the metropolis. It is registered as a tangible cultural asset of Japan.

Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum

Art lovers have many galleries to choose from in the area. Galleries in the metropolis include the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, which features Japanese woodblock printing, known as ukiyoe and the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.

Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living features full scale streets with incredible detail. Each of the streets is done to represent a specific period in the history of the area. Walking down one of the streets in the Museum of Housing and Living will allow tourists to experience what life was like in the city for residents at different times in its history.

Osaka Municipal Museum of Art

The Osaka Municipal Museum of Art contains many national treasures of Japan. Over 8,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese art can be seen at the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art.

Ikuno-ku

Ikuno Korea Town is located in Downtown Osaka. Korea Town is also known as Miyuki-Dori or Ikuno Korea Town. Ikuno Korea Town is a large area filled with many Korean supermarkets, shops, and restaurants. Visiting Ikuno Korea Town will give the tourist a taste of what life is like in Korea.

Ikuno Korea Town extends from the JR train line's Tsuruhashi station to the JR line's Momodani station and can be easily accessed from either station. While walking through Korea Town tourists will smell Korean food, such as kimuchi. Kimuchi is traditional Korean pickles.

Tourists who are interested in seeing or buying traditional Korean costumes will be able to do so easily in Korea Town.